Judah, Theodore Dehone

Judah, Theodore Dehone, 1826–63, American railroad builder, b. Bridgeport, Conn. He built the Niagara Gorge RR and did canal work before going (1854) to lay out a railroad near Sacramento, Calif. There he promoted the idea of a railroad across the mountains eastward from the Central Valley and interested a number of men in the scheme. The Central Pacific RR was formed, with Judah as chief engineer. He became dissatisfied with his associates and was on his way to the East to obtain capital and support when he died.